Ecdysis

What is Ecdysis?

Ecdysis is a series of electroacoustic pieces for live electronics and bandoneon. The series will be recorded and published in virtual platforms (spotify, Itunes, youtube, vimeo) as well as a vinyl. Ecdysis is also a live performance where sounds are manipulated in real time. I have made a series of collages to accompany the story behind this project.  

The series Ecdysis depart from a piece also called “Ecdysis”, which means the change of skin of certain insects. This piece is exclusively made with bandoneon sounds that are processed live using granular synthesis. It is a gentle introspective and awakening piece. 

The second piece is called “Elephant”, and is the second stage of the ecdysis, when the bug transforms into an elephant, young and full of energy. This piece is made of an electroacoustic background using field sounds (machines, radios, outdoors) and it has live processed bandoneon loops.

“Morphosis” is mainly a bandoneon solo piece with some electronic interventions. It is a polyrhythmic piece that has layers of textures and phrases. It is a collage of ideas. In this moment, the elephant undergoes a spiritual transformation where it understands the magic of freedom.  

“Karuselli” is a bandoneon piece composed by Jukka-Pekka Lilja to which I make electronic interventions. It is a waltz with a lot of chromatism. In the story, the elephant is trapped in its own circus. It enjoys it but feels trapped at the same time.

“Abstraction” is an electroacoustic piece using again the collage technique. This technique helps to deconstruct points of view. It takes from different genres something but the result does not necessarily belong to any genre. “Abstraction” is when the elephant takes pieces of knowledge from very different sources. In the next piece, “Recreation”, the elephant uses these sources to create a machine to fly in to the space. “Recreation” is a piece full of energy, uplifting and full of eclecticism. 

The last piece, “Fiber”, describes the elephant’s trip in the universe. There, it will encounter friends from the childhood, emblematic tango singers, equipments, languages, among other things. This last piece is a duet for bandoneon an electronics, where unknown and known meet. 

Ecdysis is not just a recording or a performance. It is about relationships and it inquires implicit social contracts. It includes the perspective of the audience as an active part for it to become possible. Its aim is to try to identify what can we do to reconnect with ourselves internally and as a community. Not just as artist and audience, but as an organism that needs all its parts to function properly.